BYD and Geely have both approached the FIA about entering Formula 1, the sport’s governing body confirmed. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem named the two Chinese automakers while speaking at the New Economy Forum in Madrid, as first reported by Grande Prêmio.

But there’s no open process for a 12th team, and neither company has a deal. The FIA is also pushing F1 toward the kind of engine an EV maker has the least reason to build.

What the FIA president said

“One of them was BYD and another was Geely,” Ben Sulayem said of the manufacturers that have reached out about joining the grid.

He said he suggested that BYD buy an existing team instead of starting a new one. BYD wasn’t interested in that route. It wants its own team, so Ben Sulayem told the company to come back with a “serious proposal” that shows the project can work.

He also made it clear that Chinese manufacturers won’t get special treatment. Any bid would go through the same process as other prospective entrants, and the rules won’t be rewritten to suit them. Right now, there’s no expansion process at all: the FIA isn’t actively looking for a 12th team.

Still, Ben Sulayem repeated that he’d like F1’s next newcomer to come from China, pointing to the country’s EV technology and the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

BYD has been circling F1 all year

This isn’t new for BYD. Back in March, we reported that BYD was exploring a Formula 1 entry, either by buying a team or building one from scratch.

In April, executive vice president Stella Li said BYD had met F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai and that an entry was “something we’re discussing.” By July, the tone had cooled. Li said “the dream is always there, but we don’t have a concrete agenda,” and special advisor Alfredo Altavilla set a clear condition: “We will never participate in Formula 1 just to put a sticker on the side of a car.”

Altavilla said BYD would only consider F1 to the extent its technology can serve the sport.

Geely is the new name here. The group sold 3.02 million vehicles last year and owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, a brand with decades of F1 history. It’s also heading into Canada next year as Chinese automakers push hard into new markets.

The last newcomer, Cadillac, took a long road. The FIA opened an expression-of-interest process in 2023, and GM’s team only joined the grid as the 11th team this season, running Ferrari power until its own power unit arrives. Audi got in the other way, by taking over Sauber.

The engine problem

Here’s where it gets awkward for an EV maker. The 2026 F1 power units split output roughly 50/50 between the combustion engine and electric power, with the MGU-K jumping to 350 kW.

The FIA is already walking that back. In June, it agreed to shift the split to 60-40 in favor of combustion for 2027 and 2028. And Ben Sulayem has been pushing for V8 engines running on sustainable fuel with “minor electrification” for the next rules cycle, starting in 2031 at the latest, possibly 2030. Domenicali says F1 should have a package ready to discuss by the end of this year.

So the FIA president wants a Chinese EV maker on the grid, while pushing a rulebook that makes their main strength less relevant.

Electrek’s Take

We like the idea of BYD or Geely in F1. Chinese automakers have the money and the engineers, and they badly need brand prestige outside China. BYD in particular has been on a performance push with Yangwang, and F1 would be the loudest possible way to tell Europe it’s not just a cheap car brand.

But Ben Sulayem’s comments don’t move things much. There’s no entry process, BYD has already turned down his main suggestion, and Geely’s interest is a name dropped at a conference, not a bid.

A Chinese would likely be good for F1 as well. Motorsports are on the rise in China, and that would be the cherry on top in helping popularize the sport in the world’s largest market.

The bigger issue is the engine. Altavilla was clear that BYD isn’t interested in slapping a logo on a car. It wants F1 to showcase its technology, and BYD’s technology is batteries and electric drive. The FIA’s V8 push goes the other way. It’s hard to sell an EV giant on a sport that’s reducing the electric part of the powertrain.

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